A large number of methods and systems exist intended for faithful reproduction of the sound experienced by a listener at the recording position. The system coming closest to virtually move the listener to the recording location, i.e. to convey an impression of the true location of the different sound sources of the original event, is the binaural method of recording and the binaural method of reproduction (headphones). This method has as its shortcomings in that the sound is interpreted by ear canals both in the recording stage and in the reproduction stage and in a worst case even by two sets of pinna (outer ears) on its way to the listeners brain where the sound information is to be interpreted. There are solutions that utilize a simplified recording method including a foam ball of head size with the microphone elements on each side of the ball instead of a replica of a head. This is a compromise to gain sound quality but loses the distinction of localization between front and back and the elevation. All other ways than the binaural method to record and reproduce sound is a creation of an imaginary sound image that is truly subjective. This is the case for both the recording stage and the reproduction stage.
As opposed to previously known methods, the object of the reproduction stage should only be to convey the electrical differences to the listener's auditory system with minimal loss or addition of information. The place where the stereo sound image is created is then the recording and/or mixing stage. The stereo image might be made as a truthful, but still subjective, interpretation of the sound experienced by a listener in a venue, or as an illusion of an imaginary event that never have physically occurred or a mixture of the two.
Most reproduction systems of today are based on a pair of widely spaced loudspeakers, and true reproduction of the electrical stereo signal, both in terms of relative intensity between the sound waves perceived by the ears of the listener and the time difference between these, can at best be perceived only at one single position in relation to the loudspeakers. These methods are often subject to incorrect translation of the electrical stereo information dependant on the preferences of the separate loudspeakers and how the loudspeakers are positioned in relation to the listener. There is thus a need for a sound reproduction system that provides identical reproduction of the stereo sound image regardless of setup and quality of the loudspeakers.
A system that solves this problem is described in the patent application WO01/39548, assigned to the applicant of the present invention, which discloses a method of processing and reproducing an input audio stereo signal. A side signal is split into a first and a second intermediate signal, where the first intermediate signal is equal to the side signal and the second intermediate signal is equal to the first intermediate signal phase shifted 180°, a mid signal is attenuated by a factor α which compensates for imperfections in the balance between the mid and side signals appearing in the audio reproduction stage, the attenuated mid signal is added to both the first and the second intermediate signals, so as to form the output audio stereo signal, and the output stereo signal is directed to an audio stereo signal reproduction system comprising a pair of loudspeaker units located in close proximity to each other. The system described in WO01/39548 allows an audio stereo signal to be reproduced with a high degree of fidelity with high consistency in the perceived stereo image regardless of the quality of system.
A problem with such a system with closely located loudspeaker units, however, is that at high frequencies, above 1-5 kHz, the degree of fidelity in perceived stereo effect degrades or vanishes totally.